Path Rift · Instance Dungeon

Quan Cangtian sat cross-legged on the bed.

Outside the window were Tianhun City's night lights, orange dots scattered near and far. Zixiao sat beside him, the Thunder Light Sword laid across her knees, her eyes closed.

Quan Cangtian closed his eyes.

His consciousness sank.

Beneath his feet was black ground, and above him was a starry sky. The Path Rift.

Silver-white stars glittered overhead. They were miracles.

He looked up.

And saw it.

A red star.

It was trembling.

A star of the Path of Destruction.

He reached out.

With a thought.

The star trembled, resisting. It did not want to descend.

But Quan Cangtian felt the Seed of Destruction in his left chest pounding. A force surged out, extending along his consciousness and grasping that star.

Pull.

The star was dragged down.

It transformed into a door.

Written on the door were the words: Simulated Universe: Destruction.

He pushed the door open.

And walked inside.

Beyond the door lay ruins.

The sky was dark red. There was no sun, only a dark crimson glow pressing down from every direction.

The earth was cracking. Black smoke rose from the fissures, carrying the scent of sulfur.

The air was permeated with an aura of Destruction.

Quan Cangtian felt the Seed of Destruction within him pounding.

It felt good.

Then—

Footsteps.

Many of them.

They came from every direction.

He looked around.

They appeared behind the broken walls of the ruins.

Voidrangers.

Humanoid. But faceless. Their bodies were black, like charred flesh, with cracks across their surfaces. Dark red light seeped through those cracks. They held weapons—spears and blades, all dark red.

Seven of them.

They saw Quan Cangtian.

But they did not rush him immediately.

They were encircling him.

Quan Cangtian sensed it.

This was not a mindless charge.

It was a tactical encirclement.

He looked around.

The terrain of the ruins was complex. Broken walls, rubble, deep pits. To his left was a broken wall around two meters high. To his right was a deep pit roughly three meters wide.

He retreated behind the broken wall.

His back against it.

Reducing the angles from which he could be surrounded.

Then—

The Voidrangers charged.

The first one thrust its spear.

Quan Cangtian sidestepped and dodged. The spearpoint grazed past his ear, kicking up a gust of wind.

He did not counterattack.

He was waiting.

The second one swung its blade.

Quan Cangtian raised his arm and blocked it.

The blade struck his arm.

Blood splashed out.

Warm.

But he did not retreat.

He grabbed the blade.

And yanked it back.

The Voidranger was pulled toward him.

He kicked the Voidranger in the chest.

The Voidranger crashed into the one behind it.

Both fell.

The third one charged.

Quan Cangtian picked up a chunk of rubble from the ground.

And smashed it into the Voidranger's face.

It had no face, but he hit it.

The Voidranger's movements faltered.

He rushed forward.

One punch.

It slammed into the Voidranger's face.

Its face shattered.

Dark red blood splashed out.

The fourth and fifth.

He used the terrain.

He retreated behind the broken wall, forcing them to approach from the front.

He fought them one at a time.

To the Death activated.

The more life he lost, the greater his damage became.

He felt his strength surging.

But the wound on his arm was bleeding.

His shoulder had also been slashed.

Blood was flowing.

The Abundance Talent was healing him automatically.

But it was not fast enough.

The sixth charged.

Quan Cangtian dodged.

But not completely.

The spear grazed his ribs.

Another wound.

He gritted his teeth.

And rushed forward.

One punch.

It slammed into the Voidranger's chest.

The Voidranger fell.

The seventh.

The last one.

It stood there without charging.

It was observing.

Quan Cangtian was observing it too.

It was slightly larger than the other six.

The spear in its hand was longer.

It was waiting.

Quan Cangtian did not wait.

He picked up a chunk of rubble from the ground.

And threw it over.

The Voidranger raised an arm to block.

The rubble struck its arm and bounced away.

But Quan Cangtian had already rushed before it.

One punch.

It slammed into the Voidranger's chest.

The Voidranger fell.

All seven Voidrangers were wiped out.

Quan Cangtian stood amid the ruins.

He was bleeding.

His arm, shoulder, and ribs.

Three wounds.

But the Abundance Talent was healing him automatically.

White Flower Bloom activated.

The domain unfolded.

His health was recovering.

The ground shook.

Violently.

Quan Cangtian looked up.

And saw it.

The Doomsday Beast.

Huge.

Ten meters tall.

Its body was black, like charred flesh. Cracks covered its surface, and dark red light seeped from within.

It had no face.

Only one enormous eye.

Dark red.

It saw Quan Cangtian.

But it did not charge immediately.

It was observing.

Quan Cangtian sensed it.

This was not a mindless charge.

It was tactical observation.

He looked around.

The terrain of the ruins was complex.

Broken walls, rubble, deep pits.

He retreated behind a broken wall.

His back against it.

Reducing the angles from which he could be attacked.

Then—

The Doomsday Beast charged.

Fast.

Quan Cangtian sensed danger.

He did not confront it head-on.

He dodged.

The Doomsday Beast slammed a fist into the broken wall.

Boom.

The broken wall shattered.

Rubble flew everywhere.

Quan Cangtian was struck by the debris.

Another wound appeared on his shoulder.

Blood splattered out.

But he did not retreat.

He used the rubble.

He picked up a stone.

And hurled it at the Doomsday Beast's eye.

The Doomsday Beast's movements stalled.

It blinked.

Quan Cangtian charged forward.

But he did not attack directly.

He ran behind the Doomsday Beast.

The Doomsday Beast turned around.

But it was too large.

It turned slowly.

Quan Cangtian seized the chance to rush behind it.

One punch.

It slammed into the back of the Doomsday Beast's neck.

The Doomsday Beast screamed.

Dark red blood splashed out.

It turned around.

Its tail swept toward him.

Quan Cangtian dodged.

But the pressure of the wind kicked up by its tail sent him flying.

He crashed into a wall.

His back struck the stones.

Pain.

He coughed up blood.

But he did not stop.

He climbed to his feet.

The Doomsday Beast charged at him again.

Quan Cangtian used the terrain.

He circled behind a broken wall.

The Doomsday Beast crashed into it.

The broken wall shattered again.

But the Doomsday Beast stumbled.

Quan Cangtian seized the chance to rush behind it.

Another punch.

It slammed into the Doomsday Beast's lower back.

The Doomsday Beast screamed.

It turned around.

But it was too slow.

Quan Cangtian had already run away.

He used a deep pit.

He circled to the Doomsday Beast's other side.

The Doomsday Beast turned around.

It was slow again.

Quan Cangtian rushed behind it once more.

Another punch.

It slammed into the Doomsday Beast's hind leg.

The Doomsday Beast staggered.

It was enraged.

It stopped turning around.

It swept its tail directly at him.

Its tail was very long.

It swept across the entire ruin.

Quan Cangtian could not dodge.

He was struck by the tail.

And sent flying again.

He crashed into a wall.

He coughed up blood again.

He climbed to his feet.

His arms were trembling.

His back hurt.

His ribs might have cracked.

But he did not stop.

He stared at the Doomsday Beast.

The Doomsday Beast stared back at him.

It did not charge again.

It was waiting.

Quan Cangtian was waiting too.

He was thinking.

The Doomsday Beast was too large.

It was incredibly powerful.

But it turned slowly.

Its tail was a weapon, but also a weakness.

He needed to make use of the terrain.

He looked around.

There was a deep pit in the center of the ruins.

It was huge.

About five meters wide.

He had an idea.

He ran to the edge of the pit.

And stood there.

The Doomsday Beast saw him.

It charged over.

Very fast.

Quan Cangtian did not dodge.

He was waiting.

The Doomsday Beast rushed to the edge of the pit.

It saw the pit.

But it could not stop in time.

It was too large.

Its momentum was too great.

It fell in.

Half its body was trapped in the pit.

It struggled.

But it could not climb out.

Quan Cangtian rushed forward.

One final punch.

It slammed into the Doomsday Beast's eye.

The eye shattered.

The Doomsday Beast screamed.

It collapsed.

The Doomsday Beast fell.

It transformed into dark red motes of light.

And dispersed into the air.

Quan Cangtian stood amid the ruins.

He was bleeding.

His arms, shoulder, ribs, and back.

Wounds everywhere.

But the Abundance Talent was healing him automatically.

White Flower Bloom activated.

His health was recovering.

Then—

He felt it.

A power surged into his body.

The power of the Path of Destruction.

He felt the Seed of Destruction throbbing.

Growing stronger.

Then—

He saw it.

There was something on the ground.

A dark red crystal.

He walked over.

And picked it up.

Crystal of Destruction.

Instance Dungeon reward.

He could feel the power of the Path of Destruction contained within the crystal.

It could strengthen the Seed of Destruction.

He clenched the crystal.

The crystal transformed into dark red motes of light.

And flowed into his body.

The Seed of Destruction was growing stronger.

Quan Cangtian opened his eyes.

He had returned to the inn.

Dawn was breaking outside the window.

Sunlight streamed in through the window.

He felt the changes within his body.

The Seed of Destruction was growing stronger.

He felt his power rising.

Then—

He saw Zixiao.

She was sitting beside him.

Looking at him.

"You're awake."

Quan Cangtian.

"Mm."

Zixiao.

"How long has it been?"

Quan Cangtian.

"One day."

Zixiao.

"You were unconscious for a day."

Quan Cangtian.

"Instance Dungeon."

Zixiao.

"What Instance Dungeon?"

Quan Cangtian.

"An Instance Dungeon in the Path Rift."

"I went in to fight monsters."

"I got rewards."

Zixiao fell silent.

She looked at Quan Cangtian.

"You've grown stronger."

Quan Cangtian.

"Mm."

Zixiao.

"How much stronger?"

Quan Cangtian.

"Soul Emperor."

Zixiao looked at him.

"Your level is only 21."

Quan Cangtian.

"But my combat power is that of a Soul Emperor."

Zixiao fell silent.

She knew Quan Cangtian was different from ordinary people.

He was walking his own path.

Sunlight streamed in through the window.

It shone over the two of them.

Quan Cangtian raised his right hand.

The Dark Red Crystal beneath his palm was still there.

But it felt different.

It was more stable.

He clenched his fist.

The two of them sat by the bed.

Neither spoke.

But they both knew.

A new stage was about to begin.

Instance Dungeons and rewards.

Increased combat power.

The Dark Soul Cult was closing in.

Huo Yuhao was cultivating.

Quan Cangtian was growing stronger.

Everything was moving forward.

And they.

Only needed to keep walking.